your whole life is a race between a pillow and a pretty soft place
February 15, 2012 5:59 PM   Subscribe

Between April 16th, 2006 and April 15th, 2007, Paleo, also known as David Strackany, wrote a song every day for a year and posted them on his website. These include a weekly 'Sunday Prayer,' featuring new lyrics sung to the same tune on the day of relative rest. At the end of the year, he received a letter of congratulations from Vice President Dick Cheney, who was in the midst of a (failed) campaign to convince the American people that he was not a robot alien overlord. Paleo kept up the site, with all the song-diary entries, and still posts occasional lyrics and a weekly Sunday Prayer. Here's a song I particularly like: The World's Tiniest Violin.
posted by kaibutsu (19 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Isn't that sort of like receiving a letter of congratulations from Jeffrey Dahmer?
posted by goethean at 6:08 PM on February 15, 2012


That congrats letter has the worst obscuring ever! I'm going to write Mr. Strackany a letter now too! He's a man after my own heart.

Mr. Cheney sent me his photo (self-link).
posted by cjorgensen at 6:20 PM on February 15, 2012


This site is neat. Listened to like three so far. It's cool to see the progression in the recording quality and talent.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:24 PM on February 15, 2012


Cheney quoting GWB quoting FDR requires some kind of congratulations as well.
posted by DU at 6:24 PM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


I did a very similar piece-of-music-a-day-for-a-year project, but I sure never got a letter from Dick Cheney. Mine had a lot more sounds like cats meowing and things burning and ping-pong balls in the clothes dryer, though.

These songs are really good, and he's got a knack for lyrics as well.
posted by daisystomper at 6:32 PM on February 15, 2012


Isn't that sort of like receiving a letter of congratulations from Jeffrey Dahmer?

Naw, he was only responsible for like a dozen deaths, and he restricted his depredations to little boys.
posted by clarknova at 6:42 PM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


I hadn't thought of this in years. This came out when I was a freshman in college. I have a lot of sweet memories of lying around on Thursday afternoons listening to the new songs. Inevitably there's quite a bit of stuff that's just so-so (though very little that's downright bad), but Strackany has a great guitar style. He's really good live, too. In the Morning Linda Dies is totally the best place to start.

Other old favorites from a quick look through:

An Arrangement in 7/8
Two Peas in a Puzzle
20,000 Eggs a Day
Misery Missouri
posted by vathek at 6:58 PM on February 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


Dahmer? I hardly Hitl'er! AMIRITE
posted by Infinity_8 at 7:09 PM on February 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


Dick Cheney . . . is he still alive?




Too bad.
posted by spitbull at 7:12 PM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


Dick Cheney . . . is he still alive?

Given he has no pulse - and yet moves I'd say undead.

Wight?
posted by rough ashlar at 7:19 PM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


You can't get anymore random than a letter of congratulations from Dick fucking Cheney.
posted by Ironmouth at 8:06 PM on February 15, 2012


What would congratulations from Dick Cheney even be? A bag of nails, a can of bile, and a face full of buckshot?
posted by octobersurprise at 8:24 PM on February 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


I forgot about this project but when I saw the name Paleo the song that came to mind was In the Morning Linda Dies so thanks for the link vathek and thanks for the post kaibutsu.
posted by Sailormom at 8:25 PM on February 15, 2012


Yeah this brings me back. I remember listening to a bunch of songs halfway through that year. Thanks
posted by victory_laser at 11:18 PM on February 15, 2012


Hey! I saw this guy perform a house show when he was halfway through the show. He seemed pretty weird.
posted by Buckt at 6:41 AM on February 16, 2012


I saw him perform on his song diaries tour. Writing and recording a song every day made him visibly exhausted. His on-stage demeanor fit his exhaustion perfectly. Thirding my love for "In the Morning Linda Dies". Also, check out "Forever in Dog Years" and "This is the Life".
posted by bryanzera at 7:06 AM on February 16, 2012


(Also a very cool dude, I might add)
posted by Buckt at 7:08 AM on February 16, 2012


That letter reads like it was written by a staffer. Which is too bad. I was actually prepared to think a little less badly of him.
posted by atchafalaya at 9:41 AM on February 16, 2012


I met David and had the pleasure of interviewing him when I worked at WLOY. He even performed a couple songs. Here's the link to the interview.
posted by bigphilmd at 9:34 AM on February 17, 2012


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